28 Fahrenheit to 28 Celsius

CHASING GUATEMALA MAHI

By Chris Jobes

Late last year I was invited to join a research expedition to Guatemala to place satellite tags in mahi with the goal of learning more about their movements in the Pacific Ocean. It was an easy yes. The trip offered a rare combination: meaningful science, a world-class fishery, and a few days at Casa Vieja Lodge, one of the most respected destinations in big game fishing.

My departure was set for Jan. 3 out of Philadelphia. It just so happened that Jan. 2 delivered near-perfect weather for a shot at our first bluefin of 2026. I was up at 4:30 that morning and headed to Cape May to fish on my family’s 50-foot Henriques Pair of Docs. We eased out of the slip at Canyon Club as the eastern sky began to brighten. The thermometer read a chilly 28 degrees, but the ocean gave us flat seas and almost no wind, making the frigid start almost bearable. We had been catching both bluefin and striped bass right before New Year’s Day, but luck was not with us. We stayed local, scouting from the Five Fathom Bank to